Apparatus for automatically counting the volumes of granulous materials passing through the same



A. LETREUX April 1, 1930.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY COUNTING THE- VOLUIES 0F GRANULOUS MATERIALSPASSING THROUGH THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 18, 1927 gl b lhulh SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. LETREUX APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLYCOUNTING THE VOLUMES OF GRANULOUS MATERIALS PASSING THROUGH THE FiledJuly 18, 1927 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERTLETREUX, F CONSTANTINE, ALGERIA APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLYGOUNTING,THEVOIiUMES.,OF.GRANUIJOUS MATE- RIALS PASSING THROUGH THE SAME Applicationfiled July 18, 1927. SerialNo. 206,769.

This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically counting thevolumes of granulous materials essentially calibrated and notagglomerated, which traverse said appara'tus and of whatever density thematerials may be, and for indicating the number of volume-units by acounter.

This apparatus is designed to be used for controlling the quantities ofgrain charged into mills, thrashing-n1achines, silos or the like. Theapparatus might further beused for calculating the specific weight of acrop by measuring the same prior or after the weighing.

An'embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by way of example, in theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the apparatus infrontelevation the drum being partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a section on line AA of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows, viewed inthe same direction as Fig. 2, the cam and thedriving mechanism for the counter.

The apparatus comprises a charging hopper 1 into which the material tobe measured is poured, and which has two doors, thevone door 2 having tobe opened by hand when the apparatus is started, the other door 3 beingclosed automatically each time the apparatus functions, but openingautomatically at every stop, as will be hereinafter explained.

The grain drops from the charging hopper 1 into a distributing hopper 4of smaller size, the walls of which are inclined at an angle whichpermits of the rolling down of any grain which is usually handled.

This distributing hopper at is supported by two frames 5, looselymounted on the ournals 6 of a measuring drum 7, so-that thisdistributing hopper is rigid with the journals 6 and with the drum 7 andparticipates in the ascending and descending movements of said drum, thedistributing hopper being hingedly connected to connecting rods 8, 8 Vwhich are connected themselves to the machine-frame 9.

The measuring device proper may consist of any system fulfilling theworking conditions of the apparatus. In the form of construction shown,this measuring device conend an adjustable counter-weight 15.

sists of a cylindrical-drum-T,adapted to rotate around a horizontal axis6, 6 and which consists of two arms united bygpartitions lO whichsubdivide said drum into'four buckets which are partly 'closed towardsthe outer side, i. e. at the periphery-of the drum, by doors 11 11", 11,11 movable around'hingepins 12. That part of the circumference whichis-open serves 'for filling the corresponding buckets. bucket permit ofthe complete filling of the bucket when it is in the charging positionand consequently ot themeasuring of a predetermined quantity of materialand always of the same quantity.

The measuring drum? issuspended by its journals 6, 6 in a scale-beam 13pivotable around axles 14, 1t and carryingat its other Thiscounterweight 15 is adjustable by inserting "a suitable quantity of shotor other weighty material in the cavity 15 Four pulleys 1'6, 16*, 16, 16are mounted each one on'the outer side on one of the arms of the drum7,and they are designed to stop the rotating movement of this drum, aswill be hereinafter explained.

The'elements ofthe system are arranged in such a manner that, in theposition of rest,

the distributing hopper at pours its contents" into a bucket of themeasuring drum, situated at one side of the vertical central axis, sothat the weight of the material, which fills this bucket, has thetendency to make the drum rotate. prevented by one of'the pulleys 16,16, 16, 16 butting against'the steep incline 17 of a groove 17 of astationary-cam 19 carried the machine-frame and as long as thedistributing hopper l'by the'links 18, 18. "Thezmaterial drops thereforeinto the dis- Partitions 20 in each This movement is' however tributinghopper 4t and thence into that bucket of the measuring drum which isstanding underneath the distributing hopper. As soon as the grain dropsinto this bucket the weight of the grain tends to make the drum 7 rotatein clockwise direction, this rotating move ment being however preventedby the roller 16 butting against the steep incline 17 of groove 17 ofthe stationary cam 19. The grain continuing to drop into thedistributing hopper a, the whole constituted by the drum and thisdistributing hopper, begins to equilibrate the counter-weight 15 and anoscillating movement around the axles 14 begins. Owing to this movementthe roller 16 gets onto the inclined part 17 of groove 17 of the cam andthe drum, being thus liberated, executes a quarter revolution until thenext following pulley 16*, after having come into engagement with thegroove 17 of cam '19, buts against the steep incline 17 of the grooveand starts thus the lifting of the scalebeam.

The door or flap 11 has remained closed during almost the entireduration of this part-rotation, as it is held by sectors 21, but at theend of this part-rotation the door 11 getting away from the sectors 21.drops in outward direct-ion until it strikes against corkbuffers 22 sothat the emptying of the bucket begins. The oscillating systemre-ascends then under the action of the counter-weight 15 and allelements return into the initial position, the drum having carried out aquarter revolution.

During the disengaging of the apparatus, which is composed of anoscillating move ment and of a quarter revolution, the door 3 of thecharging hopper has been closed as it has been drawn along by thedistributing hopper 4 so that no material can get lost.

During the rotation the contents of the bucket have been levelled by ametal-brush 23 arranged around the lower end of the distributing hopper4, so that no grain can drop out of the bucket during the filling of thesame.

The doors of drum 7 close automatically at the rotation of the drum.

The distributing hopper which, at the oscillating, must contain acertain quantity of grain in order that the bucket may be always filledat this movement, permits of the oscillating movement being produced ata predetermined weight, so that, when the grains are thick, it willcontain very little n1aterial while, when the grain is less thick, itwill be almost full. Although the distributing hopper participates inthe oscillating movements by its weight, the grain contained in thedistributing hopper does not participate in the rotation norsubsequently in the measuring of the volume.

The pulleys 16, 16, 16, 16 act, when running in the groove 17 of thestationary cam 19, successively upon a finger 24: which controls thecounter 25 which registers thus the volumes of the material which haspassed through the drum. This counter 25 is mounted on a lug 27 of asupport 27 on the other side of which the stationary cam 19 is fixed bymeans of screw-bolts, the heads of which are turned towards the counterso that, when this counter is secured by a lead-seal, it is impossibleto touch its driving device, as the same is covered by said cam.

I claim An apparatus for automatically measuring grains comprising incombination, a drum subdivided into several buckets of predeterminedvolume and having inclined partions in the corners for ensuring thecomplete filling, a hinged door for each bucket closing a portion ofthis bucket in leaving the other portion always open, sectors formaintaining said doors closed during a part rotation of the drum, ascale beam on one arm of which said drum is mounted, an adjustablecounter weight arranged on the other arm of said scale beam formaintaining said drum in the raised position, a distributing hopperabove the open portion of that bucket which is actually in the upperportion of the rotating drum, two frames supporting said distributinghopper and loosely mounted upon journals of said drum, hinged connectingrods supporting said frames in upright position so that they can ascendand descend with said drum, a charging hopper above said distributinghopper and designed to supply material to the latter, a fixed cam havinga groove with a steeply inclined branch, rollers fixed on one side ofthe drum and designed to engage with said cam groove for stopping thedrum for the filling of a bucket, a counter mechanism, and an armoperated by each of said rollers and designed to operate said countermechanism.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

ALBERT LETREUX.

